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Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 129

Summary: Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short Cinema Journal, Volume 2), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. The Collector's Edition DVD includes a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary (The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 12 Monkeys) in addition to the theatrical trailer, production notes, and a 12 Monkeys archive of still photos, design concepts, and storyboards. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Heretic Films

Genre: Documentary

Duration: 82

Summary: The fact that the outtakes included in "24 Hours on Craigslist" occupy an entire disc of their own and last more than twice as long as the main program is an indication that director Michael Ferris Gibson had an embarrassment of riches to choose from when editing this 2004 documentary. Viewers should applaud his restraint in limiting the film to 83 minutes. Were it much longer, chances are that it would become tedious; as it is, it's an entertaining if not exactly riveting piece of work. Craiglist.org, of course, is one of the most popular sites on the web, a cyberspace classifieds with listings in every imaginable category, and after founder Craig Newmark randomly picked a single day in '03, Ferris and his crew spent that day roaming around San Francisco (home of Craigslist's main office) and checking out some of the many folks who placed and answered the ads posted there. Needless to say, strangeness abounds. The titles of the listings tell much of the story: "Indian virgin seeks willing woman." "Flogging for flowers" (don't even ask). "Seeking gay sperm donor." "Will marry gay guy for money." Problem is, given the limitations of shooting within one 24-hour period, there's not much Ferris can do other than interview the people involved. Although we do see a few actual activities (the antics of a "flash mob" assembling in a hotel lobby and a city park; some moments from a "staring contest"), what we mostly get are talking heads. What's more, notwithstanding the presence of a few real characters like the Ethel Merman impersonator looking for heavy metal musicians to back him in performance, there's nothing here as fascinating as, say, the guy who tried to sell his soul on Ebay a few years back. Bonus features include about 80 minutes' worth of featurettes (a "making of," an interview with Newmark, etc.) in addition to the aforementioned outtakes. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 118

Summary: Watching this director's cut, it's finally possible to see why the studio made Spielberg mercilessly hack up this comedy: it's a screaming movie (everyone screams a lot), and screaming movies do not need character development. So all those character-development scenes hit the cutting-room floor and, surprise, they were all critical to Spielberg's pace for the humor in this film. The screaming wasn't that funny then--and it still isn't--but what is funny are the reinserted development scenes, showcasing the now-evident sense of hysteria in the Los Angeles community, post-Pearl Harbor. A bunch of certified nitwits, and a few certified lunatics, act as if Tojo Hideki's entire Imperial force is just off the mainland. Actually, one Japanese submarine is, and it helps fuel the frenzy. John Belushi is Wild Bill Kelso, an insane fighter pilot, and Dan Aykroyd plays a conciliatory tank commander. Robert Stack's performance as General Stilwell, one of the best of the film, finally makes sense. Also fun for the numerous cameos, Spielberg's inside jokes, and John Williams's great score. "--Keith Simanton"

Theatrical: 1968

Studio: Warner Studios

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 139

Summary: When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 1984

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Horror

Duration: 116

Summary: No director could ever have hoped to repeat the artistic achievement of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", and nobody knew that better than Peter Hyams, who made this much more conventional film from the first of three sequel novels by Arthur C. Clarke. Whereas Kubrick made a poetic film of mind-expanding ideas and metaphysical mysteries, Hyams shouldn't be blamed for taking a more practical, crowd-pleasing approach. In revealing much of what Kubrick deliberately left unexplained, "2010" lacks the enigmatic awe of its predecessor, but it's still a riveting tale of space exploration and extraterrestrial contact, beginning when a joint American-Soviet mission embarks to determine the cause of failure of the derelict spaceship "Discovery". Having arrived at "Discovery" near the planet Jupiter, the American mission leader (Roy Scheider) and his Russian counterpart (Helen Mirren) must investigate the apparent failure of the ship's infamous onboard computer, HAL 9000, as well as the meaning of countless mysterious black monoliths amassing on Jupiter's surface (an interpretation Kubrick originally left up to his viewers). Meanwhile, Earth is on the brink of nuclear war, and an apparition of astronaut David Bowman (Keir Dullea) appears to repeatedly promise that "something wonderful" is about to happen. "--Jeff Shannon"